


Before the curtain rises

by HazyDayzz



Series: just enjoy the show [1]
Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Kokichi is Jealous of a Corporate Entity, Kokichi is not as innocent as he seems, M/M, Minor Violence, Not Beta Read, Oops, Other Pre-Game Characters, Pre-Game Oma Kokichi, Pre-Game Personalities (New Dangan Ronpa V3), Pre-Game Saihara Shuichi, Prequel to “and the credits roll", Slow-ish Burn?, Spoilers, heh, personal headcanons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2020-09-02 05:50:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20270992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazyDayzz/pseuds/HazyDayzz
Summary: Kokichi Ouma clenched the letter tightly in his hands, as if it held the actual life and essence of his best friend. The dreaded words were sprawled along the top in neatly printed typography along with the logo he hated oh so much. He held onto the sheet unsure whether he should rip it to shreds, laugh, sob, or a combination of them all.Shuichi Saihara lied. Because of course he did.~~~~~Or, it is often easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission.But that can go both ways.





	1. Chapter 1

The apartment was empty and quiet, save for the low murmur of the television and the soft hum of the microwave filling the air. The familiar scent of instant ramen spread along the small kitchen and to the even smaller hallway that linked the living area to the front door where a figure was sitting, criss cross, watching the door as if it might swing open at any moment.

After a while, Kokichi finally decided to get up with a grunt and made his way towards the smell of sodium and fake nutrients. He wordlessly fished the plastic container out of the microwave and sat it down on the smooth kitchen counter that Shuichi kept so clean. He was eating alone tonight in his best friend’s apartment waiting for said friend to get home from a deal he’d found online. Apparently, someone was selling a limited addition set of keychains from season twenty— _ something _ or other and Shuichi just couldn’t resist.

The guy was loaded, after all, so he had the freedom to spend his money around all willy nilly, even if the prospect of it made Kokichi cringe. Not the fact that he was wasting his cash, but more of what he was wasting it  _ on _ . Shuichi had asked if Kokichi wanted to tag along, but he had declined the offer and opted to say and keep an eye on things back here, which was a decision he was beginning to regret as time ticked forward. Kokichi distinctly remembered  _ why _ he had declined the offer but was starting to second guess himself.

If he’d tagged along he’d have gotten to watch, in agony, as the simple exchange went on for hours and hours longer than it should’ve, as somehow,  _ someway _ , both parties would get roped into a long conversation about  _ Danganronpa _ trivia and who everyone’s favorite character and execution and season were and  _ why _ . It would’ve been painfully boring, a great waste of time, but at least Kokichi would’ve been able to somewhat control and cut off his friend before things went on for so long. And, who knows, maybe he would’ve been able to steer the conversation towards something  _ else _ and might’ve even been able to enjoy conversing with strangers.

Better yet, Shuichi might’ve offered to take Kokichi out for some real food somewhere and they’d be out there, outside, instead of cooped up for the night.

But, of course, he had to choose wrong.

_ Again _ .

He expressionlessly tore off the lid of the plastic bowl and watched the steam rise before stabbing the center of noodles with a fork and stirring. He checked the clock again and sighed. He couldn’t help but wonder what Shuichi was doing, if he was still talking, on the train, or minutes from the door. Kokichi desperately wished for the last option.

He could leave and go home to his own apartment at any time, but what would the point of that be if waiting just  _ a little bit longer _ would allow him to stay over the entire night? As frustrating and as dense Shuichi could be, Kokichi still enjoyed spending time with him. Even if he went on for too long talking about  _ Danganronpa, of all things…. _

Even if he was obsessed with collecting every single trinket, video game, DVD, plush, and everything….

Even if it felt like Kokichi was competing with a  _ damn franchise  _ for his attention all the time….

Despite all that, he still liked spending time with Shuichi.

Kokichi frowned.

If he were just a tiny bit less infatuated, then all this would probably be a deal breaker. But, even then, he couldn’t imagine anyone else that he’d spend time with. He hated,  _ absolutely loathed, Danganronpa _ while the rest of the world loved it. Maybe it was a curse, or—or some kind of sick joke on him, that he couldn’t enjoy the one thing that his best friend loved the most.

Kokichi  _ wanted _ to like it as much as Shuichi did.

_ Honest _ .

But he just couldn’t help feeling sick watching. The writing was terrible, the deaths were either too graphic or too cartoony, and there was no way a violent TV show was good for kids to watch 24/7 and—and then there was this twisted and painful feeling plagued him every time Shuichi popped in a DVD and grinned earnestly at the characters or when something happened that made Shuichi laugh that adorable giggle of his or when a detective character showed up and Shuichi’s attention and adoration had been sucked away by a person who didn’t even exis—Oh  _ God _ .

He was jealous. Jealous of a corporate _ franchise _ , of all things. Oh— _ my God _ . Kokichi wanted to laugh. And maybe cry.  _ How pathetic was his life? _ Pretty damn pathetic. The one guy that he could stand in his messed up plane of reality loved a fictitious universe more than him. Great.

Anyone else might’ve taken Shuichi’s habits and unhealthy obsession and kicked him to the curb to find someone else to hang out with, but Kokichi knew better. Shuichi might’ve been completely obsessed—but that just meant he was passionate, in Kokichi’s eyes. It wasn’t just Shuichi who was batshit crazy over this show, it was everyone, or the majority, and they never really did anything harmful with their craze other than blow up the internet with rants, theories, and confessions of love to fictional characters and fuel the capitalist economy by eating up all the useless garbage that  _ Team Danganronpa _ shat out to the public.

And,  _ besides _ . Kokichi was able to see the sides of Shuichi that were hidden underneath his fan boy demeanor. In reality, Shuichi was just a dorky kid. A bit shy when talking about anything other than the show he’s so familiar with, but kind and thoughtful and totally awkward, when not distracted by fantasy.

Kokichi smiled to himself. He knew that Shuichi always wore a dark gray cap decorated with stripes and stars. He’d use it to avoid looking other people in the eye when he was feeling particularly sheepish. He didn’t like pictures being taken of himself but liked to save images that he particularly liked on his phone, whether it be fanart or real life things, such as events, scenery, or something probably  _ Danganronpa _ related. Of those pictures, Kokichi took up a significant amount. Of course, most of those were repeated shots as Shuichi had a habit of taking whole bursts of pictures at a time to try and get the image he wanted and then he’d often forget to delete the extras.

Shuichi always tried to discreetly snap shots of Kokichi when he was doing something he’d deem “funny” or “cute” or something worth remembering. Kokichi always knew when Shuichi would do this and would try to put on an act for him. Shuichi wasn’t as sneaky as he thought and Kokichi could always photobomb his little “photo shoots” though sometimes he’d pretend not to notice and allow Shuichi to think he was catching him off guard.

When he wasn’t fanboying, Shuichi was pretty soft spoken and observant. He had a bit of a stutter when he wasn’t rambling on and he could be flustered easily. He often said things that didn’t make sense, and had trouble reading a mood or picking up on social cues. He was also pretty affectionate, thought it seemed to purely be in a platonic sort of way. He liked to stay near Kokichi when going places and didn’t mind sitting close to him for any reason. He was alright with holding hands and that sort of thing. 

Shuichi definitely wasn’t an active person at all, so he was as weak as he looked but he was smart in his own way. Kokichi noticed that Shuichi was extremely observant. He opted to stay out of the limelight while out in public, preferring to stay clear from all attention. From there, he took up a spectative defense and quietly watched and analyzed everything that went on around him. He could notice things, dumb little details that Kokichi, himself, would also skip over sometimes, and use them to connect the dots between other things. But, Kokichi found, was that his quick thinking and analytical side could totally be negated if you got him flustered enough. Aside from that, though, Shuichi just had one of those minds that could figure things out and put two and two together, even when a million red hearings pop up.

And yet, he could sure be dense.

Kokichi wasn’t sure why or how, if he was either fucking with him or just  _ that stupid _ but Shuichi never seemed to realize that Kokichi really hated  _ Danganronpa _ . Though, maybe he, himself, was to blame. His anger was more of a passive aggressiveness, something more akin to venom boiling under the surface. He usually liked to keep himself composed enough to hide it. Last thing he wanted was for Shuichi to see him lose his cool over something like that. And most times he pretended to, at least somewhat, like Danganronpa in order to engage with Shuichi’s long and energetic conversations about the latest season.

Sighing again, Kokichi opted to playing with his meal. He wasn’t really hungry for empty calories, he didn’t really like those instant meals but it was all he could afford and Shuichi seemed to live off of them, so he tolerated them.

Kokichi was beginning to grow somewhat impatient, but that was par for the course, he supposed. He was used to being able to predict Shuichi’s schedule and moved around it. He’d expected this to happen, but it didn’t mean he was happy about it.

On any other day, Kokichi would meet Shuichi at their usual train station after school and then they would walk home after getting off at their stop. They both decided to stay away from meeting near Shuichi’s school as it was too close to a neighboring high school whose students had an affinity for kicking the shit out of others. It was notorious for being run by a bunch of delinquents all the time, during and after school hours, and Kokichi would rather stay out of their line of sight.

He’d been through his fair share of bullying in his time, and had adapted quick ways to avoid running into his tormentors. Kokichi had taught himself to pick locks, navigate through quick and small alleyways and “escape routes”, and ways to hide in plain sight, which were frequently useful in more ways than one. He’d also developed a sort of “pity act”. He was small and looked vulnerable, if he acted as such then he could get what he wanted out of others. It wasn’t anything to be proud of, in fact it could be degrading sometimes. But it wasn’t completely out of character for him, he supposed. Usually he was just quiet and stoic, when not putting on an act, and he was always trying to calculate the easiest way to get by. Kokichi wasn’t stupid, by any definition of the word. He’d never allow himself to get hurt for any unnessessary, idiotic reasons. And he was pretty good at it, too. Though sometimes he’d slip up.

That’s also how he sort of met Shuichi. He’d messed up and had accidently taken the wrong train, a rare mistake on his part. While trying to get back home, he had a run in with a particularly nasty asshole in one of those damn purple uniforms. By the time he’d gotten away, he’d probably looked fairly worse for wear. He’d bumped into Shuichi after that—straight on smacked into him. Shuichi was a stark color of red underneath his hat, totally embarrassed about it as he had mistaken Kokichi’s injuries to being his fault. Kokichi saw the abundance of  _ Danganronpa _ merchandise hanging off of his bag and had decided to milk the situation for all it was worth. He’d let lose a believable show of waterworks, breaking into unstable tears as if he were a child who’d just been hit and that that event had been the one to finally break him.

Sure enough, Shuichi fell for it.  _ Hook, line, and sinker. _ He’d offered to buy Kokichi a meal and get him bandaged up, which Kokichi didn’t oppose to. Kokichi was sure that’s when it started—he knew Shuichi would fall for it, it’s just…he guessed that he actually liked that someone had fussed over him. Liked it a bit more than he would’ve thought. He hadn’t known how starved for attention he was.

He’d be embarrassed to admit that he had purposefully taken the wrong train again after that. And then purposefully ran into the same bully again. And then  _ just so happened to _ bump into Shuichi thereafter.

For a little while it became a sort of routine for him. Shuichi would find him and patch him up and then they’d talk. Kokichi would play the part of  _ scared, bullied innocence _ and Shuichi would be the same nervous dork as always. Kokichi picked up on Shuichi’s love for  _ Danganronpa _ quickly, as if his collection of keychains wasn’t obvious already. He’d already had a dislike for the show back then too, but only because it was too predictable, and he found the repetition of murder and “despair” to be boring and actually distasteful. But Shuichi loved it so he pretended to as well.

So, maybe two years after that, here he was, still waiting for Shuichi to show up. He’d long since given up trying to eat his meal, and, instead, put it in a Tupperware dish for his friend, should he show up soon. Kokichi felt his phone “ding” and saw a new message from Shuichi. It was the words [ _ on my  _ way :)] and with that Kokichi already knew how the rest of the night would go.

Shuichi would lightly knock on the door before unlocking it, a small embarrassed smile on his face and he’d apologize for being late. He’d gratefully take the meal that Kokichi had saved for him and thank him at least three times before realizing that was enough. They’d both move to the living area of the apartment and Shuichi would politely ask if it would be okay to rewatch V2 so soon already. Kokichi would, of course, say yes and they would sit together on the couch with a blanket to share between the two of them, and Kokichi would listen as Shuichi gushed over how  _ genius _ the writing was until they had either wasted the night away or both fallen asleep at uncomfortable angles on his soft couch.

And that just so happened to be what occurred shortly after.

Maybe Kokichi just so happened to have an obsession of his own.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, two boys go shopping.

Both of them walked in sync with each other as they moved down a fairly empty sidewalk and Kokichi couldn’t stop the hint of a smile that traced his own lips.

He’d woken up before Shuichi and had made the other some instant coffee to have when he’d eventually wake up. Shuichi had his hat tilted down covering his eyes and Kokichi was somewhat disappointed that he hadn’t taken it off last night. He supposed they both had gotten too distracted by the limited addition V2 DVD that was still running on low volume in the background. Usually Shuichi would take it off when he felt safe within his apartment. It was like a little pocket of privacy where he didn’t have to worry about interacting with others face to face. Kokichi was the exception, of course, and he wore that privilege like a badge.

For all the other _ Danganronpa _ obsessed freaks out there, no matter how relatable they were, Shuichi would never feel comfortable enough to take his hat off in front of them, purposefully, so Kokichi took pride in the fact that Shuichi didn’t feel that way around him.

When the other had finally woken up, he’d quickly joined Kokichi in making breakfast, which just so happened to be some toaster strudels that he’d bought for the both of them. Kokichi sat and waited as Shuichi went through a quick weekend routine. First he’d take a quick shower, then get dressed, then spend half an hour searching the web on his phone or computer, replying to fan forums, favoriting and retweeting or reblogging any fan art or fan fictions he saw before finally securing his things and meeting Kokichi out into the hallway, ready to go out for the day.

It was a bit frightening to see how fast Shuichi could get through the checklist, especially when it came to arguing or debating or writing his theories and speculations, but Kokichi wasn’t about to ask him to slow down. He had spent time waiting to check his phone for other things and impatiently drumming his fingers against the counter.

Kokichi was the proud owner of a one (1) singular piece of _ Danganronpa _ merchandise, and it was a small silver Monokuma phone charm that hung off one of the corners of his smartphone case. Every other time Shuichi tried to buy him a _ Danganronpa _ plushie or something, he had always been able to spin it around and make up an excuse for it—like the plush was _ too big _ for his small cot of a bed or he already _ had _ a _ Danganronpa _styled oven mitt. In truth, the last thing Kokichi wanted was any of that crud littering his apartment. He didn’t want another reminder that he was losing to a videogame television series. But with this, Shuichi had refused to take no for an answer.

He’d presented it to him in a little box, it was almost kind of cute (who was he kidding? It was really adorable and kinda cheesy). Shuichi had a whole debate memorized too and Kokichi couldn’t help but give him props. He’d only stuttered maybe twice in the whole thing, but it was clear he’d written it down before reciting it. He had wanted Kokichi to have it as a reminder or something. A token of their friendship? Something like that. And Kokichi had decided to keep it. There’s always a first for everything, and he’d allow this one thing. Besides, if he hadn’t then he wouldn’t have gotten to see how happy Shuichi was after. He’d been smiling practically ear to ear and spent the next few hours going on about how he was just so glad Kokichi liked it and how he wanted Kokichi to have a little something.

And, Kokichi was smiling too, because Shuichi was going off on one of his happy rambles but _ Kokichi _ was the main topic. Maybe he was just prideful or somewhat narcissistic, but he wanted Shuichi to think about him this much all the time. He liked the attention. _ Craved it _, even.

But, of course, Shuichi was distracted by someone holding a little _ Danganronpa _ plushy and the rest of the conversation had been lost to time and space. But that was alright.

Today, they were spending the weekend to go through Shuichi’s monthly rounds. Kokichi always liked to tag along these. Shuichi would go visit the usual gaming and _ Danganronpa _ shops that he liked to frequent and see if they had any new merch to buy, offical or fan made. Currently, he was trying to complete a collection by buying little mystery boxes. He wanted to do the whole “collect them all” thing. He was still trying to finish V2’s cast as well as get all the Monokub plushies. While Kokichi would have to suffer through a whole day of boring chatter and Shuichi’s fanaticism, it was almost always guaranteed that he’d get to choose where they would have lunch and how they’d spend the afternoon after, so it seemed like an even trade.

They made it to the train station and got their tickets without a problem. Kokichi picked a small bench to sit and wait and Shuichi took his seat beside him. The taller boy fidgeted with his satchel and gave Kokichi a small smile. Kokichi felt his face warm up and he looked away, opting to quietly gaze at his feet. In all honesty, he wanted to talk with Shuichi, start a conversation going between the two of them, and it could be about anything, other than _ Danganronpa _preferably, but he just didn’t know how to start one without seeming awkward. Even at this point in their “cherished” friendship, Kokichi was still trying to figure out how to maneuver certain things which was hard when Shuichi seemed blissfully unaware of what he was thinking.

But that wasn’t Shuichi’s fault, again, Kokichi could do better to communicate, but that was just the thing. With so many things he wanted to talk about, one wrong move or slight mention and whatever conversation they would be having would be dropped into a _ Danganronpa _related sinkhole. It seemed like whenever Kokichi initiated a pleasant back and forth between him and Shuichi. All would be going well, he's genuinely enjoy everything about those moments, but as soon as something was said that related to that damned killing game it was like a land mine would go off and Shuichi would veer straight into the trap, much to Kokichi’s irritation.

So for now, Kokichi was stuck pondering what to say that could start any semblance of small talk. Coming up with nothing, he frowned and gently tapped his shoes against the concrete floor, still staring towards the ground. He could feel Shuichi’s eyes on him for a while, it was like a nice warm feeling on the side of his neck where he imagined his friend glancing at him. When he felt Shuichi shift, that warmth also dimmed as Shuichi had decided to bury his attention in his phone. Damn. Kokichi had waited too long.

He watched as the black clad boy quickly scrolled through a fan fiction he was reading. Another classic paring from one of the original five games. It was still surprising how much _ Team Danganronpa _ could suck out of the Hope’s Peak Arc, back when _ Danganronpa _ was still limited to just games and animes and mangas. He began to kick his feet, impatiently.

Kokichi guessed that he could kill time by wasting away on his own cellular device, but if both of them were buried in the recesses of the internet, they’d miss the train for sure, and Kokichi didn’t want to do that again. But the heavens must’ve heard his prayers, for the train eventually came. People flooded out and he gently nudged Shuichi’s shoulder so that they could snake their way through the crowd and land seats inside.

Unfortunately, today appeared to be an especially busy so they were stuck standing, crammed between strangers, a small tourist family, and what looked to be a flock of elementary school kids looking for a fun time. Kokichi was easily able to maneuver his way to a comfortable enough space, wrapping his arm around a spare safety pole while Shuichi got standing, situated with an elbow near his chest and no room to breathe. Not like it mattered much to him anyway, Kokichi was right by him and, with nothing else to do, he took the opportunity to continue reading whatever it was that had caught his eye before. 

The shorter boy was understandably bored by this new development, but he decided to chin up. There was still the whole rest of the day and he was, mostly, spending it the way he wanted to. As the minutes ticked by, Kokichi watched as Shuichi’s lips would curve up into a soft, giddy sort of smile before idling underneath his hat. Yet another advantage of his small size, Kokichi could easily look up at Shuichi and see his golden eyes warm up whenever he got excited. Occasionally those eyes would drift over to him and Kokichi would turn away due to that same warmth returning.

After what felt like an eternity, the train emptied out, giving Kokichi more room to breathe. The two of them departed and worked their way out of the station and out onto the open concrete. Walking down the stip wasn’t so bad, both boys were side by side with equal steps. Shuichi had finally put his phone away and Kokichi felt like he’d won a small victory. Just down a block or two was the first store. Kokichi didn’t mind this one, it was a general gaming store so while Shuichi asked about their merchandise stock, Kokichi could look around and find a game or maybe a comic that caught his eye.

No, he didn’t own his own PS4 or whatever, but he had a laptop. Well, actually it was _ Shuichi’s _ laptop, but they had an “ _ understanding _ .” Somewhere along their friendship they’d grown into a sort of living together scenario, except not quite. With how much time Kokichi spent at his apartment one could mistake the two for living together, but that wasn’t really true. Sure, he’d stay as late as he could, make meals, sometimes stay over, borrow and use all of Shuichi’s things, and even had his important _ personal _ mail sent to Shuichi’s home. But they weren’t living together. No sir, not at all.

Kokichi’s parents were neglectful, just like Shuichi’s, but it was a different type of neglectful. While Shuichi’s parents dumped him off on his uncle and sent him money every month in place of general affection and attention and gave him the occasional phone call, Kokcihi’s parents didn’t care unless it was convenient for them. 

So he had to keep his grades up and he had to show up around the apartment and play his part as a “good quiet little boy” if he didn’t want to get berated all night. But the second that Kokichi brought up his bullying or his want for a computer that works to do homework or something like that, they’d go off on him and how everything he did “wasn’t good enough” or “his fault” so he opted to just staying afloat and out of their radar. As much as he’d like to stay at Shuichi’s forever, he knew his parentals wouldn’t allow him the luxury, so he exploited the system as much as he could. As soon as he was off for college they’d cut him off anyway and maybe then he could see if moving in with his best friend was an option.

For now, they were almost there. Shuichi quietly strode a few steps ahead in order to swing the shop’s door open, holding it for the shorter boy to enter inside. Kokichi mumbled a quiet “t-thanks” before heading in with the taller clad boy following after. It wasn’t too busy this Sunday, and maybe that’s due to them arriving early. There were a few other kids looking around at the latest games with their friends, gazing around at what there was to see. Shuichi, already knowing where the _ Danganronpa _section was, beelined over leaving Kokichi to either wander or follow. He chose the latter this time and scurried after his friend. Shuichi had a placid smile on his face as he shuffled through a bin of plushes to find the right one. He dug out a large Monotaro teddy bear and held it in both arms against his chest, beaming at Kokichi.

“Look!” Shuichi said, with an earnest grin. “I’ve been looking for this one.” The latter felt a small smile tug at his face as well as the black clad boy handed it to him, and he mimicked the action, holding it close despite his inner disgust. “They’ve been sold out of a lot of stuff lately! I r-really hope they have the Nanokumas…!” He said, returning to his search. Kokichi felt a bitter hope well in his chest. He really hoped they _ didn’t _, though he felt bad about wishing for his friend’s hopes to be dashed.

Turns out they did not, in fact, have any Nanokuma plushies in stock. Like Shuichi said, _ Danganronpa _shit went quick. Still not deterred, Shuichi suggested looking around a little more before leaving, which Kokichi did with pleasure. He didn’t really find anything of notice but he did momentarily distract the other with another cute looking mystery series about alligators or something that Shuichi did display interest in. 

Moving on, Shuichi bought his plush and Kokichi continued to holding it, finding a bit of comfort in the size, shape, and softness of the bear but maybe that’s just because all teddy bears tended to be “friend shaped”. 

They walked a few ways, visited some other general gaming stores and didn’t really find much else. A few good moments spawned out of these travels such as Kokichi getting himself a comic and the duo stopping for a snack run. They stopped at a fast food joint and got some rather unhealthy meals, but got a chance to sit down and relax. Shuichi had bought a few mystery boxes for later, even though he didn’t exactly find what he was looking for, but that was okay.

Kokichi sipped on the soda that the other had bought for him when they had sat down and gotten settled. He’d managed to veer the conversation onto a few other indie games they had scene posters of around and that had regulated Shuichi’s chatter. Shuichi didn’t get into an obsessive craze over those other games, but that was alright. He was still interested and engaged, gently laughing and it just made Kokichi happy to talk with him. The purple haired boy lightly chuckled from time to time and wore a small, satisfied smile on his face as they ate. The weekends were always better than weekdays when they went out like this.

When they’d finished their meals they got up and Kokichi felt a twinge of excitement over the fact that they just had one more store to visit before they could deviate from _ Danganronpa _mostly entirely. Eh, he’d take what he could get and if he could get an afternoon of calling the shots he would take it.

The only downside was that the last place on the list was exclusively _ Danganronpa _ themed. It was basically a glorified gift shop and something of a small but permanent DR Convention center. Probably the closest thing to a _ Danganronpa _ themed amusement park in their area, despite having no rides. Everything was extremely expensive but they had special merchandise not sold anywhere else and they kept everything on a rarity scale to keep their crazed fans coming back and checking for more. 

Kokichi hated this place almost as much as he hated the _ Team Danganronpa _ headquarters themselves. But it was just _ one more stop _ before they could go see a movie or watch a show that he wanted to watch or maybe just walk around and find something fun to do, so he could weather through it. He’d done it before and he knew he could do it again, he just wasn’t looking forward to it. There was no use in stalling, though. It was like a bandaid, better to just rip it off instead of trying to slowly peel it. Maybe painful but much faster, and he did want to get through this quickly.

He knew that Shuichi could spend a whole day looking through the isles and stalls searching for things he already owned or seeing things he’d already seen practically a bajillion times. Kokichi was slightly impressed by how excited he could be every time they’d step foot through those doors. He was sure that each time Shuichi’s enthusiasm would drop just a tiny bit, but nope, it never did.

With all the money Shuichi’s parents gave him, he had a lot to spend.That’s the perk of being shown affection in cash rather than actual attention, he guessed. Being the spawn of a movie star and a famous writer also dictated that his monthly reminder of his parentals would be rather high in numbers, so Shuichi had a large sum of money to burn through. And burn through he did. He sustained his apartment and all his gadgets and food stuffs and still had a whole lot left over. With the rest he’d split it in half, putting some in the bank, which Kokichi could admit was rather smart, but what he did with the other half seemingly went straight into the pockets of _ Team Danganronpa _. 

A small part of Kokichi wondered what Shuichi’s parents would think of his spending habits but another part reminded him that rich people didn’t really care what they spent their money on. They’re _ rich _. 

As well as purchasing merchandise and cosplays or whatever, Shuichi also rented out a small storage place to store it all. He was rather organized, setting it up like a strange museum of sorts. Once a month he’d go through and reorganize it to accommodate for the new shit he’d just purchased and on those days, Kokichi always found an excuse as to not hang out and help. As much as he kind of liked the guy, he didn’t want to spend time listening to Shuichi recite his _ Danganronpa _ trivia all day _ as well as _ clean out a dusty storage space.

In any case, the duo soon arrived at the _ Danganronpa _ wonderland, the glaring logo of _ Team Danganronpa _lit up outside in bright flashy lights. Kokichi watched as Shuichi quickened his pace as they neared closer to the sliding doors. Kokichi couldn’t help but grimace as they stepped inside and the sound of many other rabid fans fills his ears. If he could receive a nickel for every time someone said the words “hope” or “despair” in his daily life, he could probably be as rich as Shuichi was, or even more so. The fluorescent lights were bright and pristine inside this giant merchandising warehouse and Kokichi sighed as he began a mental countdown of two hours. That’s probably as long as it will take for Shuichi to finish looking around.

Speaking of who, Shuichi looked down at him, timid smile turning into an excited grin as it always did. He watched as the taller boy immediately turned to one direction and giddily walking towards a wall of keychains. Kokichi stood still for a beat, expressionless, before shaking off his disdain and chasing after the other.

As far as Kokichi could tell there wasn’t anything new that _ Team Danganronpa _ was offering. Just the same old, same old, and any “new” merch they had in store was just a retread of their old products with an uncreative spin. So far, the most popular item at the moment was a Rantaro Amami jumbo plush with a signature V2 printed on a golden tag along with the wash machine instructions. Kokichi rolled his eyes. 

Amami won the last season and is fated to reprise his role in the next season. Because of that, his popularity had risen quite a bit since the beginning of when V2 was airing. To be honest, Kokichi wasn’t fond of the character. If anything he felt that the Super High School Level Police Officer could have been utilized in an entirely different way, but, as everything with _ Danganronpa _ the potential was wasted. Of course Shuichi admired his character, just like all the other fans, though he did agree with Kokichi on his criticisms when he brought them up.

Kokichi wasn’t sure what else to do while Shuichi gawked over the new remix of the _ Danganronpa _ theme, so he simply walked off and found some place to sit while his friend did his thing. The only seats that this place provided were, you guessed it, black and white benches with a Monokuma eye on them. Kokichi sat himself down and drummed his fingers on the arm rests while he waited. A small group of friends walked over and he guessed his apparent glare wasn’t enough to deter them away because they drew near and asked him if they could sit next to him. Not really wanting _ that _ for the duration of the rest of his afternoon, Kokichi tried sometime else to scare them off. He blinked before giving them something of a crooked smile and a “ _ suurree _” which seemed to be enough to get them to turn tail and run off.

After that, he returned back to a tired and neutral expression. Damn, that was like the eighth time that’s worked….Kokichi wouldn’t peg himself down as an actor, per say, but he wouldn’t correct someone if they did commend him on his acting skills.

Other than that, he resigned to watching cartoons on his smartphone. Two hours eventually melted away and Shuichi soon bounded over to him with a cart full of figurines, a couple tee shirts, and a bag filled with pins. Kokichi felt a genuine smile tug at his lips and he got up from the bench and the two of them walked over to check out. Kokichi crossed his arms as they waited through a...rather organized line filtering into nine running cashiers, all of whom, he guessed, probably hated their jobs. Shuichi went on about what he was buying and why and Kokichi listened intently. Not because he enjoyed listening to the other go on on why a specific pin was worth five dollars but because--well, Shuichi had a soothing voice when he was excited.

Eventually Shuichi bought what he wanted and the two moved on towards the exit. Before they left, however, they passed by a wall of _ Danganronpa _posters. Some of which were on sale, mostly just pictures of the ever famous and fictional Makoto Naegi and Junko Enoshima as well as some other characters from V1 and V2. Kokichi swept his gaze past them, uninterested, but Shuichi stopped in place. Automatically, Kokichi moved in tandem with Shuichi as he walked closer to examine them.

There wasn’t anything different here than what was here last time so Kokichi was confused as to why Shuichi had-_ -Oh. _ Right smack in the middle of the other posters was a black sheet with a large white and red V3 professionally printed on it’s center, _ Team Danganronpa _’s logo centered underneath it. Kokichi frowned, and lightly scoffed, to which Shuichi didn’t notice, as he never did.

“Oh c-cool.” He said, monotonous. Luckily for him the poster didn’t reveal any insight on the new season so he wouldn’t have to listen to Shuichi spectate on it, but he still wanted to go. “Too b-bad it’s b-bare bones, though, huh?” He asked tugging on Shuichi’s sleeve. “M-maybe they’ll re-release more info l-later. But...it’s getting late.” Shuichi eventually moved, snapping out of his trance. Kokichi nodded and turned to lead the other out.

He failed to notice the way Shuichi’s eyes lingered on the poster for a moment longer before he yelled a soft “o-okay! Coming!”

He also failed to notice the singular flier that Shuichi had hidden at the bottom of his shopping bag under his newly bought merchandise with the boldly printed “_ Auditions Open _” centered along the top.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _He speaks._ Yeah, I’ve been trying to hold off on Pregame Shuichi’s dialogue, but le gasp, he _can_ in fact talk hahaha
> 
> The Indie game in question was LATER ALLIGATOR which looked extremely charming and cute. 
> 
> Also, I feel like Team Danganronpa wouldn’t be _so_ uncreative as to give someone the same talent twice in two seasons. Or maybe I’m giving them too much credit. Ehh? And I saw a lot of theories he was the warden to prison school presented in V3 which would’ve been cool, but we’ll just leave that as a call back of some sort?
> 
> If you came here looking for progress on “_and the credits roll,_” I’m working on it. I kind of wrote myself into a hole because it’s supposed to be a chapter of Shuichi surviving a day in high school, and I kind of lost interest in writing that part, but it’s getting done slowly. _Oh so slowly._
> 
> So we’re writing this one a bit as to not drop the project entirely.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Kokichi is just as paranoid in real life as he is within the viveo game.

Something was wrong.

Kokichi had just barely shoved his half full notebooks into his book bag when his phone chimed. That in itself was odd. Between the two of them, it was usually Kokichi's job to send the first text of something along the lines of [coming!] or [on train rn] or [school was a drag, hbu?]. Then Shuichi would reply and they'd continue, back and forth, a continuous exchange until Kokichi had arrived at the outer gate of Shuichi's prestigious private school.

Today, Shuichi had sent the first message and, instead of starting off their little daily ritual which would've been a shocking but welcome surprise, he had sent something else.

Shuichi Saihara never spoke about his parents in depth. They were a subject he would mention once before becoming dodgey or prone to changing the subject. Kokichi reckoned he was prone to being distracted quicker than normal when they were included in conversation. Kokichi never pried, he himself had terrible, absolute shit parents and understood the sentiment of wanting to forget that they were related to him by blood or otherwise. So he often let it go. He supposed when your only relationship to your parents was through a monthly check that was wired to your bank account, he'd want to forget about them too.

Most of Shuichi's family was off limits in terms of conversation. His uncle was a sack of shit and Kokichi was not fond of the man, or any of Shuichi's family members from what he had heard about them. He guessed that family was destined to be an overrated concept. Blood relation meant nothing if one meant nothing to their blood family members. Kokichi supposed it would be nice to have a supportive family, but as it stood, Shuichi was all he needed to not feel lonely, misunderstood, and like the ultimate burden on the world. Kokichi had always thought that Shuichi had thought the same but with him. Or at the very least _ Danganronpa _, for some reason.

So when Kokichi got the message of

[Sorry! Won't be able to meet up today! I have to meet my father at the airport.]

[I forgot to tell you earlier!]

[See you later though!]

he nearly dropped his damn phone.

If there was one thing Kokichi hated more than anything in the world it was liars. He himself was one of the worst of the bunch when it came to them. And he knew it too. Hypocrites was second on his list of hatred with himself as third, circled in red ink. Another thing to note about Shuichi Saihara was that he was the worst kind of liar: a terrible one.

Kokichi read the messages again. Then a third time. And once more for good measure. Amidst all the things to happen to him today, Kokichi was seldom to believe that Shuichi Saihara lying to him would be on the roster. Shuichi was many things: an avid _ Danganronpa _ fan, a quirky nerd, a total dork, a rich bastard, Kokichi's best and only friend, and a really, really shitty liar. Kokichi wasn't sure whether to be impressed that Shuichi had the confidence to try and lie to _ him _of all people or extremely paranoid about why the attempt was even made in the first place.

After a moment of contemplation, paranoia won.

This wasn't right, lying to Kokichi was something completely out of Shuichi's character. So then why would he even try? Well, to give him credit, Kokichi supposed, it wasn't the most common of knowledge that Kokichi was a complete liar that put on acts to gain sympathy and pity from strangers. It was totally degrading to act so pathetic all the time but it worked and if it ain't broke don't fix it.

And he'd had Shuichi fooled for the longest time out of anyone so maybe the _ Danganronpa _fanboy thought he really could get away with it.

He quickly texted back a quick [ok] before his mind raced in a paranoia and panic fueled craze. He haphazardly stumbled out of the school building and nearly ran into several . He needed some fresh air as his thoughts were flooded with different scenarios, each one even less palatable than the last.

Why would Shuichi lie to him? He couldn't meet with Kokichi after school. Was he meeting with someone else? Did he have another best friend that Kokichi didn't know about? Did he meet someone way better than Kokichi who loved _ Danganronpa _just as much? Or maybe he was seeing someone romantically? No. Not possible. Unless....

Kokichi began to feel ill. He didn't go to the same school as Shuichi and he didn't live in the same area. He occupied Shuichi's time from when school ended to when school started, and on weekends, but Kokichi wasn't with him during the school day, and Shuichi was prone to skipping when a limited edition Dangan-Something was for sale. Maybe he met someone then.

He started to list the possible candidates.

Only one came to mind.

The vile bitch, Kaede Akamatsu. Akamatsu was a cynical narcissist who only cared about herself. Suffice it to say, Kokichi didn't get along with her, he just couldn't play nice. Shuichi had introduced the two of them one afternoon, stating he met her after he skipped class. Kokichi supposed that she went on a long smoke break and met Shuichi after he seemingly got lost looking for a really niche store that was selling a barely used version of _ Danganronpa Distrust 22 _ . Shuichi didn't end up getting the game but he and Akamastu began talking and soon he had the wonderful idea to invite her over to binge watch _ Danganronpa _ with him and Kokichi.

Just what Kokichi needed: two _ Danganronpa _ fans and one of them wasn't Shuichi. Turns out that Akamatsu liked _ Danganronpa _in a more ironic sense. She liked to make fun of it, which seemed like something that would be right up Kokichi's alley, and it kind of was, but she was just such a humorless asshole that Kokichi would rather not talk to her at all.

The binge session went as well as one might think. Between the three of them, cynical bitch, Kokichi, and the rabid fanboy that was Shuichi, it was only telling who would break first. Akamatsu left for a "smoke break" and didn't come back after that. Kokichi watched through the blinds as she flipped him off, flicked her cigarette butt, and began her track home. Good riddance he had thought.

Shuichi apparently would bump into her from time to time. He'd text Kokichi after, usually, giving him a friendly update on how "their friend" Akamatsu was doing. Her school was closer to Shuichi's so there was that chance they had hooked up. Or that Akamatsu picked up on Shuichi's insane teenage wealth and was playing the game of gold digger with all intents and purposes of winning. Kokichi wouldn't put it past her to drive a wedge between him and Shuichi. They hadn't exactly gotten alone, after all.

She had seen right through his pity act.

Maybe she knew.

Maybe she told Shuichi.

Maybe she was bad mouthing him right now.

_Maybe— _

Kokichi snapped back to reality as the train rolled up to the station. He blinked a few times. When had he gotten to the station? He barely remembered his feet walking as he bee-lined from the school to here. Sighing, he held tightly to his book bag and tried to tame his wild thoughts as he boarded his train. But they were spewing and sputtering ideas. Thoughts. Paranoid whispers cood in his ear.

If Shuichi _ was _hanging out with Akamatsu and they were possibly dating (god forbid) what could he do as damage control? No doubt she was telling him things about Kokichi. No doubt she was telling him how much of a liar Kokichi was. But, no, Shuichi wouldn't fall for her lies...would he? Kokichi tried to imagine Shuichi listening to everything she said, hook, line, and sinker. Oh. Yeah, no, it was totally possible.

That's what worried Kokichi.

He stared off ahead out of the window across from him, blankly taking in the surroundings. Though...Shuichi might actually be meeting with his father right now. Kokichi might've been over thinking this. But if that were the case then why not say something earlier? Kokichi knew it wasn't his business, but Shuichi told him _ everything _. He would've said something. Or mentioned his parents flying in for a visit. Or he would've had a tell. Shuichi had a tell for everything. He was an open book--unless Kokichi missed something. 

He had to have missed something.

Shuichi would've told him if he was meeting with a new or old acquaintance. There would be no reason not to, right? R-right? Unless Shuichi was paranoid that Kokichi wouldn't behave himself around a new friend. Maybe Shuichi picked up on the fact that Kokichi was an insanely clingy and jealous person. Could he have been too embarrassed to introduce him to someone new? Could that be the case?

Kokichi furrowed his brow. No--that couldn't be the reason. _ Could it? _ Did Shuichi really see him that way? It was the truth, but _ still _. The idea of that--it stung. If that was the case, Kokichi could do better. He could act more friendly, be more nice. He'd force himself to engage more with Shuichi's friends. He'd show Shuichi he could get along with others. He'd play nice, he swore.

Even if that wasn't the case, this proved one of two things. Either Shuichi _ lied _ to him. Or Shuichi wasn't telling him something. And both of those possibilities _ hurt _.

Two obnoxiously laughing students bumped each other as they climbed aboard the train. They shoved each other playfully and one nearly landed onto the seat next to Kokichi. He sneered at him with a harsh grin and they hesitated for a moment before looking at him as if they weren't sure if he was a gross substance or a complete weirdo. Quickly they decided to sit elsewhere leaving Kokichi alone amidst his inner panic.

It went like this: Shuichi Saihara was Kokichi's best friend. At least he thought so. He thought they were mutual friends at the very least. The idea that Shuichi didn't trust him enough about _ anything _was a hard pill he just couldn't swallow. Did Shuichi finally realize what a snake Kokichi really was? That he was a lying, manipulative hypocrite? Was this Shuichi's way of telling him that? That he'd figured him out after all this time? Or maybe he had known the whole time. 

The mere thought of Shuichi cutting Kokichi out of his life felt like someone tearing out his lungs. He couldn't breath. Or think. He'd been infatuated with Shuichi for so long. Kokichi would never admit it was anything like _ love _ , but he cared about Shuichi a great deal. He wanted to hold his hand. He wanted to talk to him about _ anything _ other than _ Danganronpa _for days and days on end. He admired his passionate spirit, he adored his quirky habits. Kokichi couldn't even imagine returning to his lonely life without his best friend.

He squinted his eyes closed and rested his head in his hands. He couldn't--he couldn't go back to being alone. Shuichi was the best thing that had ever happened to him, he wasn't too prideful as to deny that. He'd change for Shuichi if he needed. If he needed him to be more honest, he would be. If he wanted Kokichi to tell him every lie he'd ever told, he would list them off to the best of his ability. He'd be what Shuichi wanted him to be. He could pretend for his best friend. Lies were subjective after all, and so was the truth to some extent. He'd become some variation of the truth for Shuichi, which seemed like he was just going to be lying again, but any lie is technically the truth when there was no truth to begin with right?

And even if that wasn't the case, Kokichi didn't mind reinventing himself as someone more acceptable in Shuichi's eyes. What was the difference between pretending and reinventing anyway?

Kokichi just didn't want the one light in his life to leave him. There were so many things he wanted to say to Shuichi but hadn't gotten the chance to. He wanted to tell him the truth, he wanted to tell him more about himself. He wanted him to know how much he hated _ Danganronpa _. He wanted him to know that he adored Shuichi oh so much. He wanted him to know that Kokichi wanted to be better for him. He wanted to just be able to talk to Shuichi honestly. It was just hard.

Kokichi tended to be a people pleaser. Or at the very least a non threat. Blending into the background was easier than sticking his neck out, but maybe it was time to be honest with Shuichi as well as himself.

He smiled to himself and his new conviction. Tonight, when Shuichi gets home, he would be a new Kokichi Ouma. He'd show Shuichi that he wasn't just pretending--he really was a good frien--

The voice over the train just ended it's chime and the train began to pull out of the station. Kokichi's eyes shot open. Did he just miss his stop? He mentally groaned to himself and rubbed his eyes. When he opened them again he was feeling slightly more confident. He could just take the long walk back to Shuichi's apartment. It wasn't the biggest of deals. And maybe he could get him a gift along the way. At least this way he wasn't waiting alone in Shuichi's living room as he awaited his dear friend's arrival.

That being said, Kokichi clutched his phone close to his heart. He was still oh so scared of a truth he wasn't even sure about.

  
  


* * *

The girl beamed with a sharp grin as she finished her ramble on how super insane she was and how her unpredictability would bring new excitement to the killing game. She seemed pretty proud of herself despite her proposed character retreading on a lot of old ground. She would, as she so eloquently put it, "bring a bout of crazed nonsense to the world and raise ratings with her cute but psychopathic personality." And in the end she would be the first to get away with murder only to have the protagonist of the season kill her, like it was some sick love tragedy, and fall into despair.

All in all it was a bout of uninspired nonsense written for and by a Mary Sue. Tsumugi wasn't particularly moved by her audition but forced a picture perfect smile.

"Thank you so much for auditioning!" Tsumugi lied through her perfect white teeth. "We'll take your audition into consideration for the season! Keep checking the official _ Danganronpa _website to see if you have been added to the roster!" The girl, feeling quite proud of herself, Tsumugi guessed, stuck out her tongue and struck an icon but outdone Junko Enoshima pose before departing from the stage. Tsumugi had no intention of rereading her application, in fact she had drawn all over it in red ink schematics for a beta Super High School Level Maid costume. It was a good design. Shame she'd wasted it on such garbage paper. Oh well. Tsumugi neatly folded the written application and disposed of it in the trash can underneath her table, one that was beginning to become quite full.

She'd need to empty it soon.

It truly wasn't her fault that she was a perfectionist. This was her one and only chance to direct, write, and act in her very own season of _ Danganronpa _. She loved the show more than she loved being alive. There was no way she was ruining her season with amateur trash.

Unfortunately, the next audition was just as worthless. She saw it from the second she was given the written application. A young man smiled at her with a bag of key chains adorned with many of the _ Danganronpa _antagonists, including but not limited to Nagito Komaeda. And, of course, under Prefered Super High School Level Talent was written Lucky Student. Tsumugi had already decided that she was not going to have a Lucky Student in her game. It was an unorthodox decision but one that she was going to stick by till the very end. She didn't care how angry it made her higher ups.

The young man explained his desire to be the main antagonist of the season. He continued about how he could have a crazy good dynamic with the main character--the audience would love it. As he droned on Tsumugi began to quickly grow bored of this. Day one of these auditions and it was so very hard to sift through the material to find exactly what she was looking for. That said, even she wasn't entirely sure what it was that she wanted. She supposed she'd know it when she saw it, but this was going to take _ forever _.

That was part of the job, unfortunately. She just had to suck it up and keep her plastic smile on until she had thirteen perfect and primed students fit for her killing game.

The Komaeda wanna-be finished up his audition and looked fairly nervous by the end of it. Tsumugi thought it was fitting. He knew how terrible his audition had been. She was going to inflate his ego by telling him he had a shot and he was going to leave feeling slightly more confident but acutely knowing that he was not getting in.

Tsumugi recited her lines and tossed the documents as the next one was slid into her hands. 

Her critical eye immediately skimmed the most important parts of the audition, snaking around the useless "flavor text" and getting to the nitty gritty important know-how. Age, pronouns, and talent were the most important parts of the written application. For the V0 seasons and on, personality and such didn't matter as much. Motivation and quirks did make for better characters but if one looked the part and had the right passion, it was possible to turn even the most hopeless person into the perfect character to convey the plots and ideals that made _ Danganronpa _the greatest media platform of all time.

Her sharp gaze landed on the desired sections. 17, he/him, and Detective. Tsumugi was in the midst of a mental eyeroll when the poor sap took center stage. He had a black cap fitted over his eyes that he tucked down once he was fully in the limelight. Tsumugi almost felt pity for the fella. He looked entirely uncomfortable in front of the audience. Yeah right. 

Super High School Level Detective her ass. No amount of programming or brain poking would be able to make _ him _a SHSL Detecti--

"Um. Number 154. M--my name is Shuichi Saihara." Tsumugi began drawing on his application as he started talking, his meaningless words falling on deaf ears as she nodded along with her fake smile. "I--I've always been a fan of _ Danganronpa _ . I--I've always wanted to be in one, _ uhm _." 

Tsumugi sighed. Yes, yes, everyone auditioning for _ Danganronpa _ was such a fanboy/girl for it. Nothing new. "I--If I were a contestant I--I would want to be a type of Super High School Level Detective. I--I know! They've been done before, b--but I've always loved t--those types of characters. I--I would want to be one too- _ -but! _ I wouldn't have to be one....I'd be anything to be part of the show. A--and I mean that! I'd do _ anything _ to be a part of _ Danganronpa _." 

Desperate much? Tsumugi supposed having a flexible cast member wouldn't be the worst thing, but she liked to see some backbone to her contestants. If he really wanted to be on the show, she wanted him to at least act like he was confident enough to be there. Even if it was wasted bravato. 

He continued, "I--I promise! If I get in, I'll do whatever I can, I'll work so, so hard! I've a--already got some great ideas for some real gruesome murders. I promise! E--everyone will love it!" Tsumugi paused her sketch of a skeleton cloak and glanced up at him. 

_Oh? _

"A--and a Detective hasn't been the blackened yet! S--so I'm sure I can do that." He said, his steam beginning to falter. "B--but I've also b--been thinking about the perfect execution for a Super High School Level Detective...." He smiled lightly as he moved his cap back onto his eyes. Tsumugi had to give it to this kid. He had real passion between his stutter and meekness. Hm, a culprit Detective. Unorthodox for sure, but would that be something she'd allow into her game? She shook her head, no, that wouldn't do. It just wouldn't fit the game she was envisioning in her head.

But she liked his nervous stature and his hesitancy and meek confidence. She took another glance at his written application. It detailed a fine execution method for a SHSL Detective. It was unusable for the season she had planned but this kid had spunk she could admire. Hm. He wanted to be a Detective, eh? 

She smiled, her expression a notch less fake than her previous rednitions, as she slid Shuichi Saihara's application to the right of herself.

"Thank you so much for auditioning!" She said, reciting her usual spiel. "We'll take your audition into consideration for the season! Keep checking the official _ Danganronpa _website to see if you have been added to the roster!"

Shuichi Saihara glanced up at her from underneath his cap. He smiled.

  
  


* * *

Kokichi had gotten to the apartment before Shuichi. He supposed that would've been a given, as Shuichi had been preoccupied with whatever secret meeting, date, or appointment. Everything was set up as it usually was. He had an instant meal prepared in a bowl with a fork, a glass filled with ice and grape Panta, and an empty seat next to himself at Shuichi's table. Shuichi had a light smile on his face, which only confirmed Kokichi's theory that he did not, in fact, meet with his father. 

It only pressed him to smile in return and beam at his friend.

"Shuichi-kun! H--how was your day?" He asked, earnestly but careful not to pry. Shuichi sat down at his designated seat and slid his hat off his head.

"O--oh!" Shuichi said, looking nervous for a moment, an obvious sign of a Saihara lie. "It was good."

"A--and your meeting with your f--father?" Kokichi asked casually. It was a perfectly normal question to ask, he thought.

Shuichi paused for a moment before nodding as he picked up his fork. "Oh it was good, too."

Kokichi's smile was a bit too tight for his face. But he pushed through. He could do this. He would be better. He'd be the absolute best friend for Shuichi. His purple eyes watched the taller boy's every move with a hidden intensity.

"That's good!" he said in an overly cheerful tone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three more chapters of this and a couple more chapters of the main story. Then we'll finish this poem right. 
> 
> Hopefully.


End file.
